Itsuwaribito: The Eyestone Gem

I read Itsuwaribito , Vol. 6

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Ikigami: The True Face of Love

I read Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit, Vol. 8

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Review: THE EARL AND THE FAIRY Volume 3

THE EARL AND THE FAIRY, VOL. 3
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Ayuko
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: Mizue Tani
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: John Werry
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4170-9; paperback, Rated “T” for “Teen”
184pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S. $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Mizue Tani is a Japanese author of several fantasy novel series. One of her series is a collection of light novels entitled, The Earl and the Fairy. Manga creator Ayuko has adapted these novels into a shojo romantic fantasy manga also entitled, The Earl in the Fairy.

The series focuses on Lydia Carlton, a young woman living in 19th century England. She is a fairy doctor, a specialist who can see and talk to fairies, an ability which allows her to resolve problems (or attempt to) between fairies and humans. During a trip to London to visit her father, a young man, Edgar Ashenbert, rescues Lydia from kidnappers. A nobleman sold into slavery, Edgar is also tied to the Fairy Realm as the Blue Knight Earl.

As The Earl and the Fairy, Volume 3 opens, London is in the grip of fear. Someone (or something, of course) called the Fogman is snatching up children and young people all over town. Lady Doris Walpole has been missing for three days. Is she a victim of the Fogman? Lydia has been asked to help find her, and her investigation leads her to think that the Fogman has ties to Edgar’s dark past.

Every now and again, I come across a manga title that is new to me, but seems tailored made for my reading tastes. The Earl and the Fairy manga is one of those titles. To semi-quote Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, I love this manga the way a fat kid loves cake. Why do I like The Earl and the Fairy so much?

I think I love the London setting, and the role that fog plays in the series (at least, in this part of the narrative). I like stories about fairies, and I have to admire the restraint in which Ayuko uses actual fairy creatures in this story. Judicially using flashbacks, Ayuko builds the mystery around her characters, making even the little details about them intriguing. Plus, Ayuko makes excellent use of Nico the cat/fairy as a kind of Greek chorus and quasi-narrator.

A

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 29 2012

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Review: BAKUMAN Volume 13

BAKUMAN, VOL. 13
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

STORY: Tsugumi Ohba
ARTIST: Takeshi Obata
TRANSLATION: Tetsuichiro Miyaki
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Julie Lutz
LETTERS: James Gaubatz
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4208-9; paperback; Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Takeshi Obata is a Japanese manga artist. In his published work, he has been the artist in collaboration with a writer. Tsugumi Ohba is a writer of manga whose identity/gender is a secret (although I refer to Ohba as “he” or “him”). Ohba has twice collaborated with Obata, first on the controversial series, Death Note. The second is Bakuman, a shonen manga. This slice-of-life comedy/drama/romance is about two ninth grade boys who set out to become manga creators.

Akito Takagi is an aspiring writer. Moritaka Mashiro likes to draw. After the two meet in high school, Akito begs Mashiro to join him in creating manga, and they eventually become the manga team, “Muto Ashirogi.” They achieve success by getting their manga published in the magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump. After having two series cancelled, this duo creates its longest-running hit, PCP: Perfect Crime Party. But do these young men have what it takes to make it in the manga-publishing world?

As Bakuman, Vol. 13 (entitled Fans and Love at First Sight) opens, Moritaka and Akito learn that PCP is unlikely to become an anime, which was their goal for the series. Each begins thinking about his next move. One of their assistants, Shun Shiratori, is working on a proposal for his own series, entitled “Loveta & Peace.” Moritaka enters Weekly Shonen Jump’s “Love Fest” contest, which is to create a one-shot manga with a romantic theme, but without his writer, the young artist struggles. Plus, Muto Ashirogi gets to judge new talent and comes across a stunning new series proposal.

Practically every time I review the Bakuman (stylized as Bakuman。) manga, I write that it gets better. I like it so much that I just can’t stand it anymore. I find myself slowly reading it so that I can savor each page as if it were a delicious bite for the mind. Actually, Bakuman is one of several VIZ Media titles of which I receive review copies, so I can’t be playin’ around and taking my own sweet time with reading and reviewing.

Of all the comic books and books I’ve read about creating comics (fiction and non-fiction), this is my favorite. What makes it work is the superb character writing by Tsugumi Ohba; this series is a joy to read when you buy into the lives, conflicts, and desires of the characters.

The other reason Bakuman is such a success is artist Takeshi Obata, who is one of the best comic book artists working today. He is a master at composition and at fitting style and pace to capture the setting, plot, and mood at any point in the story. Some artists have trouble changing direction just once in a single issue or chapter. Obata can change multiple times on a single page. Bakuman is the work of supreme manga creators who have mastered their art.

A

Kaze Hikaru: Meet Matsumoto Sei

I read Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 20

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

I Reads You Review: THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1

"Back in the sky high saddle, again..."

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1

IDW PUBLISHING

WRITER: Mark Waid
ARTIST: Chris Samnee
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Scott Dunbier
COVERS: Chris Samnee with Dave Stewart – Cover A
Dave Stevens with Laura Martin – Cover B and Jetpack Comics Cover
Chris Samnee with Jordie Bellaire – Cover RIA
Chris Samnee – Cover RIB
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

The Rocketeer is a comic book character created by artist and illustrator, Dave Stevens (who died in March of 2008). The Rocketeer is Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a mysterious jet pack that allows him to fly, and his adventures are set mainly in Los Angeles in and after the year 1938.

The Rocketeer returned to comic books in 2011 in Rocketeer Adventures. Edited by Scott Dunbier and published by IDW Publishing, this anthology comic book was a tribute to Stevens and featured Rocketeer short stories from some of the premiere creators in American comic books. Now, the adventure continues in the new series, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom, from writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee.

The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1 opens in 1940. Cliff dons his Rocketeer garb and gear to rescue two people from a struggling airplane. One of those people is Sally, the young niece of Peevy, Cliff’s best pal and the one mechanic who can tinker with the Rocketeer’s jetpack. Sally has a mad crush on Cliff, and Cliff’s actress/bombshell girlfriend, Betty, is fuming about the crush and Sally. Meanwhile, something wicked has just docked at the port in Los Angeles, and the sinister mastermind targets The Rocketeer.

As much as I liked both Rocketeer Adventures series (or at least parts of Vol. 2), I wanted IDW to publish an actual Rocketeer story arc. I was excited to discover The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom while reading the list of comic books shipping this week (8/22/). I was immediately determined to get my hands on this comic book, and having just read it, I am not disappointed.

When Mark Waid is on, the comic books he writes are fun to read. In Cargo of Doom, he uses dialogue to form the characters for readers, and crackling dialogue is always preferable to a psycho-babble when it comes to developing comic book characters. This is why I think someone like Waid is more of a natural at creating comic book than other writers who seem to have some kind of quasi-literary credibility. Under Waid’s care, Peevy hasn’t been this spicy since Dave Steven’s original comics. As for the characters’ actions, Waid also makes that clear and straightforward, from the lecherous government agent to the mercurial Guptmann.

I had been planning on reading some comic books drawn by Chris Samnee, but I was reluctant to try some of his Marvel Comics work if that meant figuring out whatever is going on in the Marvel Universe. Samnee’s art bears similarities to the work of Darwyn Cooke, David Mazzuchelli (Batman: Year One era), and Bruce Timm, while remaining uniquely his own style. Samnee’s figure drawing is killer, and there is a bit of classicism in the way he poses characters, as if he were drawing human bodies for academic critics.

I must admit that I am not crazy about Cargo of Doom’s cover price, and I may ultimately balk at paying $20 to read the entire series. Still, The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom #1 is one of the year’s best debuts.

A-

Review: A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG Volume 4

A DEVIL AND HER LOVE SONG, VOL. 4
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Miyoshi Tomori
TRANSLATION: JN Productions
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet MacFarlane
LETTERS: Monalisa de Asis
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4167-9; paperback, Rated “T” for “Teen”
216pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S. $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Manga creator Miyoshi Tomori made her debut in 2001 and created such series as Brass Love!! and First Boyfriend (Hatsukare). Her series, Akuma to Love Song is published in North America as A Devil and Her Love Song.

The series focuses on Maria Kawai, a teen girl expelled from the prestigious Catholic school, St. Katria, because of her difficult ways. She attends Totsuka High School, but even there, the students find her frank nature more than just a bit off-putting. However, Maria’s angelic singing voice catches the attention of two boys: the blond Yusuke Kanda, who wants to be everyone’s friend, and the dark-haired Shin Meguro, a rebellious, sullen boy. Can they melt Maria’s cold heart or will they end up being scorched?

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 4 opens just days before Totsuka High School’s coral singing competition. There is a huge rift in Class 1-C between Maria and two other girls, Hana Ibuki and Ayu Nakamura. Hana is the popular girl who is the chorus’ conductor, but she doesn’t show much leadership, as she is always conniving. Ayu is in love with Yusuke, and seems to hate Hana as much as she loves Yusuke.

Meanwhile, Maria is trying to convince the antagonistic Ayu to be true to her feelings. At the same time, Maria is also trying to encourage Hana. But that only causes an even bigger rift between Ayu and Hana. Pranks, sabotage, crazy teachers, and spineless boys: is there a place for music in all this craziness?

A long time ago, I saw the Kevin Costner-Whitney Houston movie, The Bodyguard, with a friend who was also a fan of Houston’s. After the movie was over, he said, “Man, all the black women in that movie were crazy.” A few days later, I was talking about the movie to a pal who worked at a record store, and he said, “Man, all the sistahs in that movie was crazy.”

Man, all the teenaged girls in the A Devil and Her Love Song manga are crazy. You might go crazy trying to keep up with all the back-stabbing, back-biting, plotting, and conniving. I wonder if creator Miyoshi Tomori is trying to depict these girls as dangerous, because I certainly consider them to be treacherous. Girls in shojo manga can be catty, but I like this series just because of the unvarnished bitchiness that Tomori presents. The feuding is fun to read, and although it gets a bit repetitive by the end of an entire volume, I’m curious about where this series is going.

B+

I Reads You Review: YOUNG JUSTICE #18

YOUNG JUSTICE #18
DC COMICS

WRITER: Greg Weisman
ART: Christopher Jones
COLORS: Zac Atkinson
LETTERS: Dezi Sienty
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

Young Justice is the ongoing, spin-off comic book series of “Young Justice” an animated superhero television series currently airing on Cartoon Network. “Young Justice” the television series focuses on the lives and adventures of the sidekicks and protégés of some of DC Comics’ biggest superheroes, which includes such young heroes as Artemis (Green Arrow), Robin, and Aqualad, among others.

Young Justice #18 (“Monkey Business”) begins with a wrap up of the team’s recent (mis) adventures. That includes a case involving Red Tornado and also a mission in India with Captain Marvel acting as den-mother. Now, Batman sends Aqualad, Robin, Superboy (and his pet Wolf), Artemis, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian into darkest (imaginary) Africa – the nation of Bwunda.

There, in the Bwundan jungles, they will find the Brain and Monsieur Mallah’s latest Kobra-Venom operation. Although Young Justice recently shutdown the Brain’s last such operation, the villain has an ally this time around, Ultra-Humanite, and he’s calling on Grodd to deal with the children.

My reviews of Young Justice, issue numbers 16 and 17, praised the art by Christopher Jones. Jones is a classic comic book artist in that he understands the visual and graphical storytelling that brings superhero comic books to life. His page layouts and style capture the eye, and his compositions sell the drama and action of the story. After Jim Lee on Justice League, Christopher Jones is the best artist on a Justice League title.

Sans co-writer Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman offers a story that is darker than the previous story arc. In “Monkey Business,” Weisman places the young heroes in what clearly reads like a convincing perilous situation. More so than in the previous issues, I want to come back for the second part of this.

Young Justice #18 has a 4-page preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series #7 (the comic book adaptation of the similarly named Cartoon Network animated series).

WRITER: Ivan Cohen
ARTIST: Luciano Vecchio
COLORS: Gabe El Taeb
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte

The story features my favorite Green Lantern villain, the Tattooed Man, and I enjoyed reading the preview. I will try to find a copy of this issue.

A-

Review: Starstruck #1 (IDW version)

[IDW Publishing did indeed publish all thirteen issues of their Starstruck re-launch slash re-packaging. Now, the publisher has collected the entire series in an oversized edition (in paperback and hardcover) collecting all thirteen issues with re-mastered art and extras. In conjunction with the release of this collection, I am reprinting my review of IDW’s first issue that I originally wrote for another site.]





STARSTRUCK #1
IDW PUBLISHING

WRITER: Elaine Lee
ARTIST: Michael Kaluta
INKS: Michael Kaluta, Charles Vess
COLORS: Lee Moyer
LETTERS: Todd Klein, John Workman
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

In 1980, Elaine Lee, along with her co-writers, Norfleet Lee and Dale Place, saw the off-Broadway production of her stage play, Starstruck. Lee continued the characters and stories of Starstruck in comics form. Written by Lee and drawn by Michael Kaluta (who contributed to the play’s staging), the Starstruck comics were a prequel to the events of the play and revealed the history and relationships between the various characters and introduced new characters. The Starstruck comics first appeared as comic strip series in Heavy Metal magazine in 1982.

Marvel Comics re-published the strips that appeared in Heavy Metal in 1984 as the graphic novel, Starstruck: The Luckless, the Abandoned and Forsaked (Marvel Graphic Novel #13). The graphic novel was followed by a six-issue comic book series published under Marvel’s Epic Comics imprint. Plans by Lee and Kaluta to reprint the previously published Starstruck comics and to add new material resulted in the aborted Starstruck: The Expanded Universe (four issues from Dark Horse Comics, 1990-91), as well as a few stand-alone “Galactic Girl Guides” short story comics in Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine (two issues, Comico Comics, 1988-89).

Now, it seems as if everything that Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta want to release as Starstruck comics will finally see publication because IDW is publishing a new 13-issue Starstruck series. The entirety of Starstruck #1 is previously published material: 15 pages of Starstruck; six pages of “Galactic Girl Guides;” and four pages of supplementary material that explains the Starstruck universe (in a rather obtuse way).

Starstruck is set in a far-flung, alternative future. One might think of it as something like the science fiction and fantasy comics of Moebius, Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg! (which Starstruck predates), Zap Comix!, and Star Wars thrown into a blender. A space opera, Starstruck follows the offspring of two powerful houses as they vie for wealth and dominance in a universe that is newly freed from the Incorporated Elysian Republic. Issue one introduces several characters, but focuses on Baron Bajar and his son Kalif and daughter Lucrezia.

Lee’s story and script are complicated and challenging, but fans of space opera will want to dig through this intricate and exotic concept. Of course, having Mike Kaluta, with his decorative, illustrative style, as the artist to visualize Lee’s concepts into comics art is serendipity. Her oblique and outlandish storytelling and his intricate, Pre-Raphaelite graphic scenarios were meant to be together.

As much as I like the main story’s astonishing weirdness, “The Galactic Girl Guides” is the kind of sweet treat I’d want to have on a regular basis. Written as a playful, comic appendage to Starstruck, GGG is simply about girls having fun, playing pranks, and seeking out adventure – the kind of things that most storytelling leaves to boys. Unlike the main narrative, in which Kaluta pencils and inks the art, Charles Vess inks Kaluta’s pencils, and the resulting difference in look makes GGG seem like a more traditional kid friendly comic book than Starstruck.

Before this review ends, I must call attention to painter Lee Moyer’s glorious new coloring for this rebirth of Starstruck. I’d buy this comic book just to see more of the color splendor found on pages 6-7.

A-

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

DC COMICS

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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

IDW PUBLISHING

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

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Comics, Books and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for August 22 2012

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Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan - Kyoto in Darkness

I read Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Vol. 10

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Yaoi Review: STARTING WITH A KISS Volume 1

"Island of Lust Souls"

STARTING WITH A KISS VOLUME 1
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Youka Nitta
TRANSLATION: Adrienne Beck
LETTERING: NRP Studios
COVER: Youka Nitta with Chii Maene
ISBN: 978-1-4215-5002-2; paperback; Rated “M” for “Mature”
186pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Born in Japan, Youka Nitta is a female mangaka (creator) known for her works in the boys’ love genre, especially the series, Embracing Love. Starting with a Kiss is a yaoi manga series from Nitta. The series focuses on two up-and-coming crime bosses who enter into a sexual relationship. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys’ love manga which features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

Starting with a Kiss Volume 1 introduces readers to two characters. First, there is Tohru Suki, son of yakuza boss, Shinya Suki. Then, there is Mutsumi, the son of Itsuki Kiria, Shinya’s second-in-command. Shinya sends Mutsumi into exile on a deserted island in order to keep him out of harm’s way during a gang feud. Itsuki also sends Mutsumi with Tohru, hoping that his studious son will take a liking to the family business. Mutsumi doesn’t like the family business, but in Tohru, he does see something he likes – something he likes quite a lot.

I have read a fair bit of yaoi manga, but I don’t think I’ve seen as many penis silhouettes as I saw in this first volume of Starting with a Kiss. Like illustrated depictions of sex? Well, Starting with a Kiss Volume 1 is hip-thrusts ahoy. If you want sex in your yaoi manga, this volume will certainly give that to you. One young man is often on top of another, grunting and sweating as he pounds out a message of love on the fleshy typewriter that is his partner’s firm body.

However, this isn’t just some humping around. Starting with a Kiss has a sense of humor, and the fathers, Shinya and Itsuki, are a riot. Part of this first volume has some back story on them, but they deserve their own graphic novel. Leering yakuza soldiers and an over-protective fixer add to the comedy. Starting with a Kiss starts off just right.

A-

[This volume includes the short story, “LOL Theatre.”]

http://www.SuBLimeManga.com

Bleach: The Burnout Inferno

I read Bleach, Vol. 45

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

SuBLime Offers Steamy Yaoi Manga Titles for the Summer Reading

GLOBAL YAOI MANGA PUBLISHER SuBLime CONTINUES THE SUMMER SIZZLE WITH THE DEBUT OF BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE AND STARTING WITH A KISS

Bold English-Language Yaoi Publisher Will Delight Fans With Both Debuts Available Now In Print And STARTING WITH A KISS Also Available Digitally From SuBLimeManga.com

San Francisco, CA, August 14, 2012 – SuBLime, the global yaoi manga (graphic novel) publisher, delivers more hot summer romance with the debut of Yaya Sakuragi’s BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE, and Youka Nitta’s STARTING WITH A KISS. Both new series launch today, are rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers, and carry a print-version MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN.

STARTING WITH A KISS is also available as a digital edition worldwide from www.SuBLimeManga.com for $5.99 (USD), and is downloadable as a PDF for viewing on any enabled eReader device or computer, as well as accessible via the online manga viewer found on the SuBLime web site.

BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE Vol. 1, by Yaya Sakuragi • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN

High school student Ao has been dreaming about his longtime neighbor Ryomei, a priest at the local Shinto shrine. A little freaked out—and a lot excited—at the prospect of having a relationship with Ryomei, Ao gathers up his courage, confesses his feelings...and gets turned down flat. Luckily, Ao's not the kind to give up easily. Thanks to some creative persistence (and Ryomei's weakening resolve), he finally gets a kiss. But one single kiss won't satisfy him for long!

Yaya Sakuragi’s previous English-language releases include Tea For Two, Hey, Sensei? and Stay Close to Me. She is also a prolific novel illustrator.

STARTING WITH A KISS Vol. 1, by Youka Nitta • Rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers • MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN • $5.99 Digital From SuBLimeManga.com

Tohru, the son of a yakuza boss, is sent into exile on a deserted island for his own protection during a gang feud. Fiery and impetuous, he isn't thrilled to be sidelined when he'd rather be in the fight, and is even less thrilled that Mutsumi, son of the gang's second in command, is going with him. The serious, studious Mutsumi is Tohru’s opposite in every way, and it doesn't take long before the sparks between them begin to fly!

Youka Nitta made her publishing debut with GROUPIE in 1995, and since then has become one of the most prolific and popular yaoi creators worldwide. Her most well-known series, Embracing Love, has been adapted into both a drama CD as well as an anime series. More information about Youka Nitta is available on her English-language website at: http://nittayouka.com. “Hot yaoi romances continue to sizzle this month for fans worldwide with the print release of BOND OF DREAMS, BOND OF LOVE and the print and digital release of Starting with a kiss,” says Jennifer LeBlanc, Editor, SuBLime. “Yaya Sakuragi shows how a not-so-innocent kiss, mixed with plenty of determination, can lead to so much more, while Youka Nitta demonstrates her prowess as one of the genre’s greatest creators with a sultry tropical gangster love story. We also invite readers to visit SuBLimeManga.com and heat up the rest of their summer season with a variety of other sexy yaoi titles available now!”

For up-to-date news and release information, please visit the SuBLime website at www.SuBLimeManga.com, or follow SuBLime on Twitter at @SuBLimeManga and Facebook at facebook.com/SuBLimeManga.


About SuBLime
SuBLime is a global yaoi manga publisher, and is a partnership between VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, and Japan’s Animate, Ltd. (Animate). This bold, global publishing initiative will present English-speaking fans everywhere with a broad selection of high quality titles. SuBLime will offer titles digitally worldwide available at www.SuBLimeManga.com, with many available in Download-to-Own format, and selections in print also available in English-language editions worldwide.

Bleach: Vice It

I read Bleach, Vol. 44


I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Graphic Novel Review: RIGHT STATE

RIGHT STATE
DC COMICS/VERTIGO @vertigo_comics

WRITER: Mat Johnson
ARTIST: Andrea Mutti
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau
COVER: IAAH, Daymon Gardner, Nessim Higson, Lizzy Margiotta
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2943-6; hardcover
144pp, B&W, $24.99 U.S., $27.99 CAN

Right State is a new graphic novel from Mat Johnson, the author of the non-fiction book, The Great Negro Plot. The award-winning author currently teaches at The University of Houston Creative Writing Program. Johnson has been writing comic books since the 2005 miniseries, Hellblazer: Papa Midnite. He has also written the graphic novels, Incognegro (2008) and Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story (2010). DC Comics’ imprint, Vertigo Comics, published all three of these works.

Drawn in black and white by Italian artist Andrea Mutti, Right State is a political thriller that involves an apparent plot by a militia group to assassinate the second African-American President of the United States. The focus of the story is former Marine, Ted Akers, a conservative media pundit and an activist for military veterans. Asif, a Muslim-American who is an agent for the U.S. Secret Service, convinces Akers to infiltrate the Roots of Liberty, a military group based in rural Pennsylvania. This group is apparently planning to assassinate the second black President during a speech he will give on the Lincoln Memorial. When Akers accepts the assignment, the speech is four days away.

Infiltrating the militia group is a relatively easy task for Akers who is popular with conservatives and right-wing types because he is a frequent guest of Jay Bremen, who hosts his own conservative television talk show (on a FOX-like network). What is difficult is making contact with Ezekiel Dutton, a Gulf War marine and Department of Homeland Security agent who has apparently gone rogue or native and may now lead the Roots of Liberty. As the day of the speech grows closer, Akers discovers that the conspiracy is more complicated than Asif and his agency imagined and that there are also all kinds of shady types involved in the assassination plot.

First, Right State, for all its timely political commentary and pertinent satire, is a pure summer potboiler. Right State is like the proverbial John Grisham thriller that people supposedly take to the beach with them. It is a page-turning thriller that keeps you guessing with a number of twists and turns that actually make sense, instead of seeming contrived for cheap thrills. This is one of those times when I understand what it means to tear oneself away from something. I thought someone would have to tear this book out of my hands, as that would be practically the only way to stop me from reading it. Talk about some riveting reading.

Johnson weaves several themes throughout Right State, including depictions of the ways in which prejudice and bigotry impede progress in a complex society, which is what the United States is. The dominant theme concerns the characters inability to see the bigger picture of anything: the future of the country, their own lives, and even their own plots and schemes. Their racial animus, class resentment, and stereotypes blind men and women. The characters, both protagonists and antagonists, carry so much ignorance and bigotry about people who are different from them or groups of people that they just don’t like. Ultimately, the survivors have to see beyond their preferences, and if they want to win, they have to view things from a new perspective.

It is a testament to Mat Johnson’s ability as a storyteller that he can fashion complex characters that are too complicated to fit easily into the molds of heroes and villains. Artist Andrea Mutti turns Johnson’s story and characters into one of the edgiest non-fantasy comic books in years. Mutti offers a bleak interpretation of the contemporary American malaise. Rather than just draw a comic book, Mutti offers up modern fiction and proves that comic books can grapple with contemporary issues with genre flair. Right State also proves that Mat Johnson is the great emerging graphic novelist.

A

http://www.vertigocomics.com/

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

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Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 15 2012

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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JUN121394 JUXTAPOZ #140 SEP 2012 $5.99
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MAR121313 WHITE CLOUD WORLDS HC $29.99

Karakuri Doji ULTIMO: Funeral's Eve

I read Ultimo, Vol. 7

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Kamisama Kiss: Watch Yatori

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 10

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Dawn of the Arcana: The Trouble with Brothers Named "Cain"

I read Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 5

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free comics).

Los Bros. Go on Tour to Celebrate Love and Rockets' 30th Anniversary

Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary Northeast Tour with Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez

September 14th-23, the seminal Love and Rockets creators Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez will tour from Washington D.C. to Brooklyn as part of the 30th Anniversary of Love and Rockets, the greatest comic book series of all time. Signings and readings await the Northeast this fall.

First stop on the Love and Rockets train are signings at Politics and Prose Bookstore in D.C. Experience the plush bookstore and lush linework of the Hernandez Brothers starting at 7pm on Friday, September 14th.

Heading back to the small press scene, Jaime and Gilbert special guests at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Sept 15 and 16th, with several signings at the Fantagraphics (Twitter: @fantagraphics) table at the convention throughout the weekend.

The following Tuesday, September 18th, the Hernandez Brothers will be signing at Atomic Books in Baltimore. Love and Rockets: New Stories #5 features a letter from Atomic Books' Ringmistress, Rachel Whang, who is also available for signing.

The Philadelphia Free Library proudly hosts Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez for a presentation in the Free Library's Montgomery Auditorium starting at followed by a Q & A session. After the talk, fans and friends can get their Love and Rockets books signed in the Library Lobby from 8:30-10:30 at night.

Friday nights may never be the same especially after September 21st when the avid fans of punk, the Hernandez Brothers, bring the house down at The Rock Shop starting at 7pm.

The Love and Rockets East Coast Tour will end with a stop at the Brooklyn Book Festival on Sunday, September 23rd. Gilbert Hernandez will join many other creators on The Sex Panel: Taboo in Pictures featuring obscenity, art and the area between the two. Meanwhile Jaime Hernandez stars on a panel called Worlds Built Over Time: Panel to Page, Book to Series on world building and character development in the long term. Book signings will follow each panel discussion.

More details to come on this rare opportunity to see the creators of such favorite characters as Hopey, Maggie, Ray, Luba and Fritz on the Love and Rockets 30th Anniversary Northeast Tour.

Tour dates and stops:
Friday, Sept. 14 • Politics & Prose, Washington, D.C.

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15 & 16 • SPX, Bethesda, MD

Tuesday, Sept. 18 • Atomic Books, Baltimore, MD

Wednesday, Sept. 19 • Philadelphia Free Library, Philadelphia, PA

Friday, Sept. 21 • The Rock Shop, Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, Sept. 23rd • Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, NY

Ai Ore! Love Me at the Beach

I read Ai Ore!, Vol. 6: Love Me!

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

I Reads You Review: PUNK ROCK JESUS #1

"JAY-ZUS!"
PUNK ROCK JESUS #1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS/Vertigo - @vertigo_comics

WRITER/ARTIST: Sean Murphy – @Sean_G_Murphy
LETTERS: Todd Klein
32pp, B&W, $2.99 U.S.

Late last year, I reviewed Joe the Barbarian: The Deluxe Edition (DC Comics/Vertigo), the hardcover edition of Grant Morrison’s miniseries, Joe the Barbarian. I focused my review on series’ artist, Sean Murphy. Born Sean Gordon Murphy, the Brooklyn-based animator and comic book artist is best known for his work with DC Comics, including the Batman/Scarecrow: Year One miniseries and Hellbazer.

At the time, I said that Murphy should be a star, and I was right. His latest work, a creator-owned series (although DC owns the trademarks) proves that. Written and drawn by Murphy, Punk Rock Jesus is a new black and white, six-issue miniseries set in the near-future. It is about a reality television series starring a clone of Jesus Christ.

Punk Rock Jesus #1 opens on tragedy then moves on to some craziness. American entertainment conglomerate, Ophis, has a surprise coming Christmas 2019. They are producing a new TV reality show, “J2,” starring the first human clone in history, Jesus Christ. With a little Jurassic Park-style genetic manipulation plus the Shroud of Turin, Dr. Sarah Epstein, geneticist and environmentalist, will obtain and insert genetic material into a donor egg. Teen virgin, Gwen Fairling, will be the new “Virgin Mother.” The guy providing security for Ophis and its biblical Frankenstein project, however, is Thomas McKael, who has his own very dark past.

Murphy has fashioned a fascinating concept full of engaging characters that he uses to deliver biting sarcasm, sparkling wit, and sharp satire. Still, the true star here is Murphy’s black and white art. Murphy takes his rock solid draftsmanship and first-rate compositions and creates an incomparable graphic style. This is a potent visual language that brings the characters to life in a way that makes them pop off the page.

Murphy draws the characters in such a way that their personalities and attitudes come through plainly. It is clear that each is different from the other. Thomas McKael is a large, solid man – a pillar of bad-ass. He is all brooding with an aura of menace that is a halo of warning to the other characters. Slade, an Ophis executive, is obviously a slimy money-grubber. He is like Mitt Romney stripped of his friendly-entrepreneur veneer so that the reptilian, Mammon acolyte beneath is laid bare. Murphy visualizes Dr. Sarah Epstein as thoughtful and contemplative. She is the most sane and sensible of this lot, although she is the mad scientist here.

I wouldn’t call Punk Rock Jesus a punk comic book; Murphy is too polished and skilled to come across as either a rebel or an outlier. Still, Punk Rock Jesus’ attitude is closer to punk than most mainstream comic books.

Praise the Lord, this is a good one. I plan on being a loyal follower of this Jesus.

A-

http://www.seangordonmurphy.com/

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 8 2012

DC COMICS

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JUN120223 LEGION LOST #12 $2.99

JUN120231 NIGHT FORCE #6 $2.99

MAY120283 OMAC TP VOL 01 OMACTIVATE $16.99

JUN120286 PUNK ROCK JESUS #2 (MR) $2.99

JUN120219 RAVAGERS #4 $2.99

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JUN120264 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #24 $2.99

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DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES
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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 8 2012

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